2025 Student Leadership Conference Workshops
Workshop Breakout Sessions #1: 4:35PM - 5:35PM
Unmasking is Resistance: Discovering Integrity without Compromise
Presenter: Violet Walker | Location: Conference Center RM 105
In the leadership multiverse, we're constantly moving through different dimensions: student organizations, professional roles, classrooms, communities, and digital spaces. In each, leaders are pressured to “mask” parts of themselves in order to meet expectations and while masking can help us survive, it also comes at the cost of our authenticity, integrity, and contentment. This interactive workshop explores why unmasking is a form of resistance and how Hip Hop culture provides a blueprint for leading with unapologetic authenticity. Hip Hop has always been about holding space for unmasked life stories, where lyricism, storytelling, and creativity become acts of survival, resilience, and imagination. From Tupac to Lauryn Hill to Kendrick Lamar, artists have demonstrated that refusing to perform for others, and instead leading with integrity, creates space for truth, representation, and transformation.
Through reflection, dialogue, and a hands-on “unmasking” activity, participants will identify the masks they wear across dimensions, examine the costs of hiding, and explore how unmasking strengthens leadership. Together, we will discuss how authenticity is not only an act of survival but also a source of joy, empowerment, and resistance against erasure. Participants will leave with strategies for aligning leadership across contexts, an understanding of hip hop as a model of integrity-driven resistance, and a mission to embrace integrity across every dimension of their leadership multiverse.
Authenticity in the Attention Economy: Leading When Everyone is Watching
Presenter: Susana Ramirez | Location: Conference Center RM 110
Student leaders today navigate a uniquely complex leadership environment. On campus and online, they are constantly visible, with their words and actions subject to public scrutiny. In this attention economy, where likes, shares, and perceptions often seem to measure success, leaders face real pressure to perform rather than act authentically. These conditions can compromise decision-making, weaken trust, and erode credibility if not navigated with intention. This interactive workshop invites student leaders to explore how to remain grounded in their values while leading under pressure. Drawing on insights from communication and public health research, we will examine how information overload, attention-seeking behaviors, and mediated environments influence leadership dynamics. Through case studies, participants will analyze moments when leaders lost or gained trust under public scrutiny. They will then engage in guided exercises to develop their own “leadership integrity compass”—a practical tool for aligning values with communication practices. By combining reflection, discussion, and applied learning, the session equips participants with strategies they can use immediately in their leadership roles. Whether navigating social media controversies, presenting to campus groups, or handling conflict within organizations, student leaders will leave with tools to build trust, strengthen authenticity, and lead with integrity—even when everyone is watching.
The Power of Storytelling: Crafting Your Story of Self
Presenter: Dulcemaria Garcia | Location: Conference Center RM 215
This workshop will give you an opportunity to develop your skills in storytelling while practicing your communication, public speaking, and active listening skills. Storytelling can be a powerful tool to help convey a message and help others understand you. Whether it’s to connect with friends, network with employers, develop your elevator pitch, or craft an important speech, knowing how to share your story is an important and effective way to communicate your experience. This workshop will provide you with the tools needed to have a better understanding of how you can share your story in a meaningful and impactful way.
The Psychology of Leadership: Why the Way You and Your Team Feel Matters
Presenter: Jennifer Taylor | Location: Conference Center RM 225
A leader understands business, creates and applies policy, and supervise employees. A great leader builds their own socio-emotional skills, takes inventory of their emotional intelligence, and is acutely aware of how they impact those around them. An excellent leader goes further and seeks to understand their team as individuals, including their mindset and behavior, emotional intelligence, and cognitive processes, and builds their team development, interactions, and goals around the nuances and needs of the individuals in their unit. This workshop explores the psychology of leadership and why it is fundamental to individual and team success.
Workshop Breakout Sessions #2: 6:35PM - 7:35PM
Unmasking is Resistance: Discovering Integrity without Compromise
Presenter: Violet Walker | Location: Conference Center RM 105
In the leadership multiverse, we're constantly moving through different dimensions: student organizations, professional roles, classrooms, communities, and digital spaces. In each, leaders are pressured to “mask” parts of themselves in order to meet expectations and while masking can help us survive, it also comes at the cost of our authenticity, integrity, and contentment. This interactive workshop explores why unmasking is a form of resistance and how Hip Hop culture provides a blueprint for leading with unapologetic authenticity. Hip Hop has always been about holding space for unmasked life stories, where lyricism, storytelling, and creativity become acts of survival, resilience, and imagination. From Tupac to Lauryn Hill to Kendrick Lamar, artists have demonstrated that refusing to perform for others, and instead leading with integrity, creates space for truth, representation, and transformation.
Through reflection, dialogue, and a hands-on “unmasking” activity, participants will identify the masks they wear across dimensions, examine the costs of hiding, and explore how unmasking strengthens leadership. Together, we will discuss how authenticity is not only an act of survival but also a source of joy, empowerment, and resistance against erasure. Participants will leave with strategies for aligning leadership across contexts, an understanding of hip hop as a model of integrity-driven resistance, and a mission to embrace integrity across every dimension of their leadership multiverse.
Empathy in Action: Servant Leadership for Young Leaders
Presenter: Alondra Franco Hernandez | Location: Conference Center RM 110
Servant leadership flips the traditional idea of leadership on its head: instead of leading for power or status, servant leaders lead by serving others. This workshop is designed for young adults who want to grow as leaders in their schools, communities, and future careers by focusing on empathy, collaboration, and impact. In this session, participants will unpack what it means to be a servant leader and why this approach is powerful in creating positive change. Through interactive activities, discussions, and real-life examples, participants will explore how listening, empathy, and putting others first can actually strengthen their own leadership. The workshop will highlight practical tools that students can use right away—whether leading a club, organizing a project, or working with a team. By the end of the session, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of their own leadership style, new strategies to serve and empower others, and an action step to bring servant leadership into their daily lives.
The Power of Storytelling: Crafting Your Story of Self
Presenter: Dulcemaria Garcia | Location: Conference Center RM 215
This workshop will give you an opportunity to develop your skills in storytelling while practicing your communication, public speaking, and active listening skills. Storytelling can be a powerful tool to help convey a message and help others understand you. Whether it’s to connect with friends, network with employers, develop your elevator pitch, or craft an important speech, knowing how to share your story is an important and effective way to communicate your experience. This workshop will provide you with the tools needed to have a better understanding of how you can share your story in a meaningful and impactful way.
The Psychology of Leadership: Why the Way You and Your Team Feel Matters
Presenter: Jennifer Taylor | Location: Conference Center RM 225
A leader understands business, creates and applies policy, and supervise employees. A great leader builds their own socio-emotional skills, takes inventory of their emotional intelligence, and is acutely aware of how they impact those around them. An excellent leader goes further and seeks to understand their team as individuals, including their mindset and behavior, emotional intelligence, and cognitive processes, and builds their team development, interactions, and goals around the nuances and needs of the individuals in their unit. This workshop explores the psychology of leadership and why it is fundamental to individual and team success.
